Wouldn't it be great if kids all over Nebraska were talking about books? The Nebraska Library Commission & the Regional Library Systems have a program where kids can all read and discuss the same book.

2019 One Book for Nebraska Kids

"A Long Pitch Home" by Natalie Dias Lorenzi

Ten-year-old Bilal liked his life back home in Pakistan. He was a star on his cricket team. But when his father suddenly sends the family to live with their aunt and uncle in America,
nothing is familiar. While Bilal tries to keep up with his cousin Jalaal by joining a baseball league and practicing his English, he wonders when his father will join the family in Virginia.
Maybe if Bilal can prove himself on the pitcher’s mound, his father will make it to see him play. But playing baseball means navigating relation-ships with the guys, and with Jordan, the only
girl on the team—the player no one but Bilal wants to be friends with. A sensitive and endearing contemporary novel about family, friends, and assimilation.

“Add this title to your shelves, and pitch it to kids who like sports stories and moving realistic novels.” ~ School Library Journal

Find a copy
of the book @ your library®—audio, eBook, and print editions are available

Natalie Lorenzi has been a teacher for 21 years in the U.S., Italy and Japan. She's taught Kindergarten, 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th grades as a classroom teacher and worked with grades 1 to 6 as an ESL specialist.
She's currently a full-time secondary school librarian in Fairfax County, Virginia.

2019 One Book for Nebraska Teens

"The Boy in the Black Suit" by Jason Reynolds

Matt wears a black suit every day. No, not because his mom died—although she did, and it sucks. But he wears the suit for his gig at the local funeral home,
which pays way better than the Cluck Bucket, and he needs the income since his dad can’t handle the bills (or anything, really) on his own. So while Dad’s
snagging bottles of whiskey, Matt’s snagging fifteen bucks an hour. Not bad. But everything else? Not good. Then Matt meets Lovey. Crazy name, and she’s
been through more crazy stuff than he can imagine. Yet Lovey never cries. She’s tough. Really tough. Tough in the way Matt wishes he could be. Which is
maybe why he’s drawn to her, and definitely why he can’t seem to shake her. Because there’s nothing more hopeful than finding a person who understands
your loneliness—and who can maybe even help take it away.

"Matt is a wonderfully sympathetic, multidimensional character whose voice is a perfect match for the material and whose relationships with Love and Mr. Ray—also a fascinating character—are beautifully realized. This quiet story is clearly a winner." -Booklist

Find a copy
of the book @ your library®—audio, eBook, and print editions are available

Jason Reynolds is a New York Times bestselling author, a Newbery Award Honoree, a Printz Award Honoree, National Book Award Honoree, a Kirkus Award winner, a two time Walter Dean Myers Award winner,
an NAACP Image Award Winner, and the recipient of multiple Coretta Scott King honors. The American Booksellers Association’s 2017 spokesperson for Indies First, his many books include When I Was the Greatest,
Boy in the Black Suit, All American Boys (cowritten with Brendan Kiely), As Brave as You, For Every One, the Track series (Ghost, Patina, Sunny, and Lu), and Long Way Down, which received both a Newbery Honor
and a Printz Honor. He lives in Washington, DC.

Beginning in 2013 we select both a One Book for Nebraska Kids
and a One Book for Nebraska Teens every year. Prior to 2013 we
alternated choosing titles. The "Kids" book is aimed at grades 4-6 or so
and the "Teens" title is often aimed at high school age readers.